removal of front struts advise anyone please?

[adam ant]

hi all i am wanting to remove my strut brace so i can repaint it how do you take struts step by step of any photos would help aswell.this morning i tried to remove one side but i did not know what had to be undone in order to remove. is it a easy job for a novice to do? as i only know a little bits to do on cars

[warrenpenalver]

can you not reach the securing bolts underneath in the wheel well???

[TREVCOS]

Actually I'd be interested in a 'how to' section that details this sort of thing step by step. There's obviously loads of people who have done these jobs, whether as a one off or restoration, and I'd rather do the jobs myself when I want to rather than have to keep booking to car into a garage, some of which make a real hack of things. And I want to make sure I don't miss something and make a real bollocks up.


Things like:

Removal and replacement of front and rear suspension.
Removal and replacement of bushes.
Removal and replacement of brakes and bleeding etc.
Replacing wheel bearings etc.
How to fit a strutbrace?
Tools needed for jobs.
Even things like removing and refitting exhausts (I've done this before but I'm sure loads of people haven't and would like to know the easiest way).
And a what's best bit detailing what people think of different components.


The sort of things most of us don't do every day but would like to be able to. It would be a good learning process and a good way of saving some cash too. I would be really chuffed if there was something like this available.

What do we reckon?

[richyx]

i can possibly help out later on when i get back just not at home at the minute can do most things as a step by step if needed

or you can just find the workshop manual online lol

[Mark Barber]

i can normally help just driop, me a call or pm

ok front struts

1 jack front of car and support and remove wheels
2 remove the abs sensor bracket from the strut
3 undo the caliper due to flexi stretching
4 undo 19mm pinch bolt through the hub (bottom of shocker)
5 leave top 19mm nut until last
6 use long bar to put downward pressure on lower track control arm ledge under the cradle
7 use hammer and tap hub downwards
8spray some wd40 around base of shocker to ease removal
9 as it gets near the end pull the hub towards you it will then just pop out be care full not to pull to hard as the inner drive shaft joint may come out/apart


then undo the top 19mm nut and it will come off

if when undoing the top nut the whole shaft turns use a allen key to hold it you will see an hole for one right in the top ise a spanner to undo the nut

any probs call me i will talk you through it

mark hope this helps

[SCS j1mbo]

nice one mark

[TREVCOS]

Do you need to use spring compressors on the front springs? And what about on assembly?

[the youth]

Do you need to use spring compressors on the front springs? And what about on assembly?

if you want to remove the springs from the struts yes you do, same on re assembly

steve

[cosmo]

Do you need to use spring compressors on the front springs? And what about on assembly?

I've never had to with mine Trev, but having said that I've not got standard springs

[SCS j1mbo]

trev if you need it bring your suspension to work then pop over and you can borrow our spring compressor if need be, even on a saturday then i can give you a hand if need be

[warrenpenalver]

and if theyve been in years and years you have to go psycho with the mallet to get the strut off

alternatively cheat and tap a thin drift wedge between the flanges where the pinch bolt goes. will open the joint out slightly making it easier. Only need to open the joint about 0.5mm to do it.

Has anyone pulled the driveshaft out like that then?? and if so will it just slide back in???

[TREVCOS]

trev if you need it bring your suspension to work then pop over and you can borrow our spring compressor if need be, even on a saturday then i can give you a hand if need be

Thanks for that Jim. I'm not doing it at the moment, it was just I was interested because I will want to at some point. Got to pay off some bills and save up some cash first, I could be gone for some time.

[TREVCOS]

Tell you what I would be interested to know though, I've got one of the more sporty steering wheels with airbag to put on the van. I know how to get the old one off i.e. take battery off to let the power discharge to the airbag before removing the steering wheel, but is there a set method for putting the new one one. I see there is a plastic ring with a piece that sort of sticks out on the hub area, and a button that presses down.
Just thought I'd ask because I don't want to blow my head off if at all possible.

[adam ant]

can you not reach the securing bolts underneath in the wheel well???

na mate i can just touch them and that is it

[adam ant]

i can possibly help out later on when i get back just not at home at the minute can do most things as a step by step if needed

or you can just find the workshop manual online lol

how do i find the workshop manual on line?